Scanner

ABSTRACT

A scanner according to an embodiment includes a housing, an imaging device provided in the housing, and a light source. The housing has an imaging window. The imaging window is sectioned by an upper side portion, a lower side portion, and a pair of side portions. The lower side portion is spaced apart from the upper side portion. The pair of side portions connect respective ends of the upper side portion and the lower side portion. The imaging device picks up, via the imaging window, an image of a reading target present in a reading area formed on the outer side of the housing through the imaging window and outputs image data of the reading target. The light source is located on the outer side of the reading area and arranged along each of the side portions of the housing and irradiates illumination light on the reading area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 12/961,814filed on Dec. 7, 2010 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,220,714; the entire contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2009-282079 filed on Dec. 11, 2009 andJapanese Patent Application No. 2010-161624 filed on Jul. 16, 2010, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a scanner that picks upan image of a code symbol.

BACKGROUND

In the past, as a scanner that reads a code symbol such as a barcodeattached to a commodity, there is a vertical scanner used while beingfixed to a sucker table or the like in a store (see, for example,JP-A-2007-334493).

As such a scanner, there is a scanner including an imaging device andilluminating devices in a housing. An imaging window is formed in thehousing. The imaging device includes an image sensor such as a CCDimaging device. The illuminating devices are arranged in the upper sideportion and the lower side portion of the imaging window and emitillumination light to the outer side of the imaging window. In thisscanner, reflected light from a code symbol arranged in an imaging areaon the outer side of the imaging window is made incident on the insideof the housing through the imaging window and the imaging devicereceives the incident reflected light.

The scanner is set on a sucker table to locate the imaging window in aposition lower than the eyes of an operator facing the imaging window.Consequently, the operator can easily perform scan work for bringing thecode symbol close to the imaging window in order to cause the scanner toread the code symbol.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a scanner according to an embodimentshown together with a sucker table and the like;

FIG. 2 is a transparent perspective view of the scanner according to theembodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a main part of the scanneraccording to the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the scanner in the past, since the illuminating device arranged inthe lower side portion of the imaging window irradiates the illuminationlight on the imaging area from below, the illumination light of theilluminating device tends to enter the eyes of the operator who facesthe imaging window and performs work while looking obliquelyfront-downward. Therefore, the scanner in the past dazzles the operator.

An embodiment is devised in view of the above and suppresses a scannerfrom dazzling an operator when an imaging window is arranged in aposition lower than the eyes of the operator facing the imaging window.

The scanner according to this embodiment includes a housing, an imagingdevice provided in the housing, and a light source. The housing has animaging window. The imaging window is sectioned by an upper sideportion, a lower side portion, and a pair of side portions. The lowerside portion is spaced apart from the upper side portion. The pair ofside portions connect respective ends of the upper side portion and thelower side portion. The imaging device picks up, via the imaging window,an image of a reading target present in a reading area formed on theouter side of the housing through the imaging window and outputs imagedata of the reading target. The light source is located on the outerside of the reading area and arranged along each of the side portions ofthe housing and irradiates illumination light on the reading area.

The scanner according to this embodiment is explained in detail belowwith reference to the accompanying, drawings. In the figure, an arrow“a” indicates the up to down direction of the scanner, an arrow “b”indicates the left to right direction (the width direction) of thescanner, and an arrow “c” indicates the front to rear direction of thescanner.

As shown in FIG. 1, a scanner 1 is a vertical scanner. The scanner 1 isvertically provided on a sucker table 2 serving as a setting table. Thescanner 1 is set on the sucker table 2 to locate an imaging window 12 ain a position lower than the eyes of an operator which faces the imagingwindow 12 a. The sucker table 2 is a table on which a shopping basket orthe like is placed. The sucker table 2 is set in a checkout place of astore. A display 3 and a keyboard 4 are disposed in an upper part of thescanner 1.

The scanner 1 includes a scanner main body 10 and a supporting section20. The supporting section 20 supports the scanner main body 10 toenable adjustment of upper and lower positions of the scanner main body10.

The supporting section 20 includes a pair of left and right columns 21vertically provided on the sucker table 2. Guide grooves 22 extending inthe up to down direction are provided in sections opposed to each otherof the columns 21. The supporting section 20 guides the scanner mainbody 10 along the guide grooves 22.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the scanner main body 10 includes a housing12 having the imaging window 12 a in the front thereof. The scanner mainbody 10 includes, in the housing 12, an imaging device 15, a mirror 14,illuminating devices 13, and an image processing board 17 as code-symbolextracting means. The imaging device 15 includes a CCD (Charge CoupledDevice) imaging device 15 a as an image sensor. The mirror 14 bends animaging area A of the imaging device 15. The illuminating devices 13irradiate illumination light on the imaging area A of the imaging device15. The image processing board 17 extracts a barcode as a code symbolfrom image data of a commodity acquired by the CCD imaging device 15 aand acquires a commodity code. The image processing board 17 is mountedwith, for example, a circuit that performs image processing. In FIGS. 2and 3, the imaging area A of the imaging device 15 is schematicallyindicated by an alternate long and two short dashes line. In FIG. 2, apart including a portion on the outer side of the housing 12 in theimaging area A is omitted.

The housing 12 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped box shape. Theimaging window 12 a is formed in a front wall 12 f of the housing 12.The housing 12 faces an operator located in front forward of the housing12. The imaging window 12 a is sectioned by an upper side portion 12 bas an upper end, a lower side portion 12 c as a lower end, and a pair ofside portions 12 d as a pair of sides. The lower side portion 12 c islocated below the upper side portion 12 b and spaced apart from theupper side portion 12 b. The pair of side portions 12 d connectrespective ends of the upper side portion 12 b and the lower sideportion 12 c and are spaced apart from each other. The imaging window 12a is formed in a square shape in front view. Specifically, the imagingwindow 12 a is formed in a rectangular shape with the length of theupper side portion 12 b and the lower side portion 12 c set larger thanthe length of the pair of side sections 12 d.

The imaging window 12 a is closed by a plate 16. The plate 16 hastransparency. The plate 16 is formed in a flat shape. The plate 16 ismade of, for example, glass or resin.

The imaging device 15 picks up an image of an area around the imagingwindow 12 a from the inner side of the housing 12 and outputs imagedata. Specifically, the imaging device 15 picks up an image of a readingarea C via the imaging window 12 a and outputs image data of a codesymbol in the reading area C. The reading area C is an area on the outerside of the imaging window 12 a facing the imaging window 12 a and is anarea in which a code symbol (a reading target) attached to a commodityis located. The imaging device 15 includes the CCD imaging device 15 a,an imaging lens 15 b, and a driving circuit (not shown) for the CCDimaging device 15 a. The imaging lens 15 b focuses an image of theimaging area A on the CCD imaging device 15 a. The imaging device 15 isarranged in a position where the imaging device 15 receives reflectedlight from the code symbol as the reading target located in front (onthe outer side) of the imaging window 12 a, which is reflected lightmade incident in the housing 12 from the imaging window 12 a. Theimaging device 15 picks up an image of the code symbol. The imagingdevice 15 is arranged such that an optical axis of the imaging lens 15 bextends along the left to right direction of the scanner 1. The mirror14 is arranged in front of the imaging device 15. The mirror 14 islocated at an angle with respect to the imaging window 12 a. An imagingoptical axis B of the imaging device 15 extends from the imaging device15 to the mirror 14. The imaging optical axis B of the imaging device 15is turned about 90 degrees by the mirror 14 and passes through theimaging window 12 a.

A range in which the CCD imaging device 15 a of the imaging device 15can pick up an image is determined according to a characteristic of theimaging lens 15 b. The imaging lens 15 b in this embodiment is afixed-focus lens. A focus position (a best-focused position) of theimaging lens 15 b is present in a position a fixed distance apart fromthe distal end of the imaging lens 15 b. Resolution is the highest whena commodity as an imaging object is placed in the focus position. Animage of the commodity can be clearly picked up. As the commodity as theimaging object is placed in a direction coming closer from the focusposition to the CCD imaging device and a direction further away from theCCD imaging device, an image becomes out of focus and the resolutionfalls. In order to decode a barcode, it is necessary to measure thewidths of bars of colors (e.g., white and black) forming the barcodefrom image data of a commodity acquired by the CCD imaging device 15 a.When an image is out of focus, the widths cannot be measured. Therefore,a range having resolution equal to or higher than fixed resolution inthe imaging area A is the reading area C for the barcode in which theimage processing board 17 can extract a code symbol from the image data.In FIG. 3, the reading area C is schematically shown. In thisembodiment, the reading area C is schematically a range between a line Dand the plate 16.

The illuminating devices 13 are respectively provided in the pair ofside portions 12 d of the imaging window 12 a. In other words, theilluminating devices 13 are provided as a pair on the left and right.The illuminating devices 13 include light source units 13 c as lightsources and substrates 13 b mounted with the light source units 13 c.The pair of illuminating devices 13 are configured symmetrical (planesymmetrical).

Each of the light source units 13 c includes plural LEDs (Light EmittingDiodes) 13 a as light sources. The light source units 13 c are notlimited to the light source units each including the plural LEDs 13 aand may be light source units each including a single LED 13 a. Thelight source units 13 c are located on the outer side of the readingarea C. The light source units 13 c are arranged along the side portions12 d of the housing 12. The light source units 13 c irradiateillumination light on the reading area C. The LEDs 13 a are arrangedalong the side portions 12 d of the imaging window 12 a on the outerside of the reading area C. As shown in FIG. 3, the LEDs 13 a arearranged at an angle with respect to the imaging window 12 a. Morespecifically, the LEDs 13 a are arranged along the side portions 12 d onthe inside of the housing 12. In other words, the LEDs 13 a are arrangedin parallel to the side portions 12 d of the imaging window 12 a in adirection orthogonal to a direction in which the upper side portion 12 band the lower side portion 12 c of the imaging window 12 a are opposedto each other (i.e., the up to down direction) (i.e., the LEDs 13 a arearranged in the horizontal direction). The LEDs 13 a are arranged onsides of the imaging area A of the imaging device 15. In other words,the LEDs 13 a are arranged on sides of the imaging area A located behindthe imaging window 12 a. The LEDs 13 a irradiate illumination light onthe reading area C located in front of the imaging window 12 a from thesides of the imaging area A located behind the imaging window 12 a. TheLEDs 13 a are opposed to each other in positions oblique to the plate 16in the front to rear direction. The LEDs 13 a are covered from above byan upper wall 12 e of the housing 12 as a blocking member that blockslight. In each of the illuminating devices 13, the plural LEDs 13 a arearranged along the side portion 12 d of the imaging window 12 a on theinside of the housing 12. The plural LEDs 13 a are arranged closer tothe center of the side portion 12 d in the direction in which the upperside portion 12 b and the lower side portion 12 c of the imaging window12 a are opposed (i.e., the up to down direction). In other words, thelight source unit 13 c is arranged along the side portion 12 d in thecenter of the side portion 12 d of the imaging window 12 a. The LEDs 13a are arranged in positions where optical axes E of the LEDs 13 a do notenter the eyes of the operator facing the imaging window 12 a.Specifically, the optical axes E of the LEDs 13 a (i.e., optical axes ofthe light source units 13) are substantially orthogonal to the directionin which the upper side portion 12 b and the lower side portion 12 c ofthe imaging window 12 a are opposed to each other.

Diffusers 18 are arranged in positions opposed to the LEDs 13 a. Thediffusers 18 are arranged in the imaging window 12 a in front of theLEDs 13 a. Specifically, the diffusers 18 are arranged to be opposed toeach other in positions oblique to emission sides of illumination lightin the LEDs 13 a (the light source units 13 c) on the outer side of thereading area C. The diffusers 18 are located on the imaging window 12 aside of the housing 12. The diffusers 18 spread illumination light ofthe LEDs 13 a, which passes through the diffusers 18, in a circularshape to thereby expand illumination areas of the LEDs 13 a. Thediffusers 18 are, for example, diffusing films. The diffusers 18 arefixedly attached to the inner surface of the plate 16. The diffusers 18,the illuminating devices 13, and the imaging device 15 are arranged on astraight line in the front to rear direction of the housing 12.

The mirror 14 reflects reflected light of illumination light from thelight source units 13 c, which illuminates the barcode in the readingarea C, to the imaging device 15. The mirror 14 is located at an anglewith respect to the imaging window 12 a to reflect reflected light madeincident from the imaging window 12 a to the imaging device 15. Themirror 14 is formed in a trapezoidal shape with the length of the otherside portion 14 b on the opposite side of the imaging device 15 side setlarger than the length of one side portion 14 a on the imaging device 15side.

The image processing board 17 is arranged on a side of the imagingdevice 15. The image processing board 17 is connected to the imagingdevice 15. The image processing board 17 recognizes one frame data, fromwhich the entire barcode can be read, out of moving image data outputfrom the imaging device 15. The image processing board 17 decodes therecognized barcode and outputs the barcode as decoded data.

The scanner main body 10 includes a speaker 19 in the housing 12. Thespeaker 19, the imaging device 15, and the mirror 14 are arranged in arow in the left to right direction.

A method of using the scanner 1 and the operation of the scanner 1 areexplained below. In causing the scanner 1 to read a barcode of acommodity, the operator stands on the inner side of the sucker table 2in front forward of the housing 12, i.e., a position facing the imagingwindow 12 a. The operator takes out purchased commodities one by onefrom a shopping basket placed on the upstream side in a lane. When abarcode is attached to a commodity taken out from the shopping basket,the operator holds the barcode over the imaging window 12 a of thescanner 1 within the reading area C and causes the imaging device 15 toread the barcode. In this case, the LEDs 13 a illuminate the readingarea C.

In the scanner 1, the imaging device 15 sends image data of an image ofthe commodity picked up by the imaging device 15 to the image processingboard 17. Subsequently, the image processing board 17 extracts an imageof the barcode and analyzes the image. An analyzed commodity code isoutput to a host apparatus such as a POS terminal, whereby commodityregistration is performed.

When the barcode is accurately read, the speaker 19 of the scanner mainbody 10 emits confirmation sound indicating the end of the reading. Theoperator hears the confirmation sound and puts the commodity in ashopping basket arranged downstream in the lane.

As explained above, in the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, theLEDs 13 a (the light source units 13 c) are arranged along the sideportions 12 d of the imaging window 12 a and irradiate illuminationlight on the reading area C. Therefore, when the imaging window 12 a isarranged in a position lower than the eyes of the operator facing theimaging window 12 a, the illumination light of the LEDs 13 a tends toenter the eyes of the operator compared with structure in which LEDs arearranged in the lower side portion 12 c of an imaging window. Therefore,with the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, it is possible tosuppress the scanner 1 from dazzling the operator.

In the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, the diffusers 18 arearranged to be opposed to the LEDs 13 a and diffuse illumination lightof the LEDs 13 a. Therefore, even when the operator directly looks atthe LEDs 13 a during scan work, it is possible to suppress the scanner 1from dazzling the operator.

In the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, the mirror 14 is arrangedon the inside of the housing 12 and reflects reflected light from abarcode to the imaging device 15. Therefore, in securing a long imagingdistance to secure a wide imaging range, it is possible to realize areduction in thickness in the front to rear direction of the scanner 1compared with structure in which a mirror is not provided and an imagingdevice and an imaging window are arranged on a straight line.

In the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, the mirror 14 is formedin a trapezoidal shape with the length of the other side portion 14 b onthe opposite side of the imaging device 15 side set larger than thelength of one side portion 14 a on the imaging device 15 side.Therefore, there is an advantage that an amount of a material of themirror 14 may be small compared with a mirror, one side portion of whichhas the same length as the other side portion.

In the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, the imaging window 12 ais formed in a rectangular shape with the length of the upper sideportion 12 b and the lower side portion 12 c set larger than the lengthof the pair of side portions 12 d. In other words, the imaging window 12a is formed in a laterally long rectangular shape long in the left toright direction. The LEDs 13 a are arranged along the side portions 12 dof the imaging window 12 a on the inside of the housing 12. Therefore,there is an advantage that an illumination range in the up to downdirection of the LEDs 13 a may be narrow compared with structure inwhich an imaging window is formed in a longitudinally long rectangularshape long in the up to down direction.

In the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, each of the light sourceunits 13 c includes the plural LEDs 13 a and is arranged along the sideportion 12 d of the imaging window 12 a in the center of the sideportion 12 d. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently illuminate thereading area C with a relatively small number of the LEDs 13 a. If LEDsare equally arrayed in the up to down direction in a side portion of animaging window, a part of illumination light of the LEDs located atupper and lower ends in a row of the LEDs illuminates the outside of thereading area C without illuminating the reading area C.

In the scanner 1 according to this embodiment, the LEDs 13 a areprovided on the inside of the housing 12, located behind the imagingwindow 12 a, and opposed to the plate 16. Therefore, even in a state inwhich a barcode is pressed against the plate 16, since illuminationlight of the LEDs 13 a is irradiated on the barcode, the scanner 1 cansatisfactorily pick up an image of the barcode and read the barcode.

The present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Various otherembodiments can be adopted without departing from the spirit of thepresent invention. For example, in this embodiment, the barcode isapplied as the code symbol. However, the present invention is notlimited to this. Various code symbols such as a two-dimensional code canbe applied.

In this embodiment, the LEDs are applied as the light sources. However,the present invention is not limited to this. Various light sources suchas fluorescent lamps can be applied.

In the example explained in this embodiment, the light sources arearranged on the inside of the housing. However, the present invention isnot limited to this. The light sources may be arranged on the outside ofthe housing.

In this embodiment, the rectangular imaging window formed in a squareshape in front view is explained as the example. However, the presentinvention is not limited to this. The imaging window may be formed in,for example, a pentagonal shape, a hexagonal shape, or the like in frontview.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, when the imagingwindow is arranged in a position lower than the eyes of the operatorfacing the imaging window in the scanner, it is possible to suppress thescanner from dazzling the operator.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intendedto cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the inventions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A scanner main body comprising: a housing havingan imaging window; an imaging device provided in the housing andconfigured to pick up, via the imaging window, an image of a readingtarget present in a reading area formed on an outer side of the housingthrough the imaging window and output image data of the reading target;a mirror arranged on an inside of the housing and configured to reflectreflected light of illumination light from a light source to the imagingdevice; a light source located on an outer side of the reading area andon an outer side of an extended line of the mirror and configured toirradiate the illumination light on the reading area and illuminate thereading target present in the reading area, an optical axis of the lightsource being arranged at an oblique angle with respect to the imagingwindow; and a display disposed in an upper part of the scanner mainbody.
 2. The scanner main body according to claim 1, further comprisinga diffuser arranged to be opposed to an emission side of theillumination light of the light source, located on the imaging windowside of the housing, and configured to diffuse the illumination light ofthe light source.
 3. The scanner main body according to claim 2, whereinthe diffuser is arranged in the imaging window.
 4. The scanner main bodyaccording to claim 1, further comprising a substrate on which the lightsource is mounted, wherein the substrate includes two side portionsextended along the at least one of the side portions, one of the twoside portions of the substrate is arranged nearer to the at least one ofthe side portions than other one of the two side portions of thesubstrate; and the imaging window is sectioned by an upper side portion,a lower side portion spaced apart from the upper side portion, and apair of side portions that connect respective ends of the upper sideportion and the lower side portion.
 5. The scanner main body accordingto claim 1, wherein the mirror is located at an angle with respect tothe imaging window to reflect the reflected light made incident from theimaging window to the imaging device and formed in a trapezoidal shapewith length of the other side portion on an opposite side of the imagingdevice side set larger than length of one side portion on the imagingdevice side.
 6. The scanner main body according to claim 1, wherein thelight source includes plural light sources, is arranged on an inside ofthe housing.
 7. A scanner comprising: a scanner main body including: ahousing having an imaging window; an imaging device provided in thehousing and configured to pick up, via the imaging window, an image of areading target present in a reading area formed on an outer side of thehousing through the imaging window and output image data of the readingtarget; a mirror arranged on an inside of the housing and configured toreflect reflected light of illumination light from a light source to theimaging device; and a light source located on an outer side of thereading area and on an outer side of an extended line of the mirror andconfigured to irradiate the illumination light on the reading area anilluminate the reading target present in the reading area, an opticalaxis of the light source being arranged at an oblique angle with respectto the imaging window; and a keyboard disposed in an upper part of thescanner main body.
 8. The scanner according to claim 7, furthercomprising a display disposed in an upper part of the scanner main body.9. The scanner according to claim 7, wherein the scanner main body isvertically provided on a table.